Please Come Home
by Inspiration17
Summary: When Sasuke go the call, his heart froze. With his new promotion, he couldn't be bothered with a weekend at their family lake cottage, but now a storm is raging and it's Naruto who might not be making it home. Yaoi SasuNaru hints of nejixgaara


**This story is actually inspired by a true event. I added the bad relationship for fun, but the rest is based off something that happened to an acquaintance of mine and his boyfriend**

**Please enjoy**

**If you don't like, sorry but don't flame me. I know I'm not a professional writer**

Naruto leaned into the warm plastic of the dock chair. The sun streamed down on his already tan chest, and the familiar smell of lake water filled the air. Taking a deep breath, the blonde let himself be filled with the reminiscent scene.

It had been years since he'd spent a weekend at his family's lake cottage. They used to go down nearly every weekend in the summer when he was a kid, spending the days splashing without care in the murky water and nights sitting around a blazing campfire, making s'mores and telling stories.

The little cottage house held almost all of the youngest Uzumaki's favorite memories. He had driven his first car there, had his first hospital visit, caught his only fish.

Met his first love.

Thinking back, Naruto smiled a little at the memories that emerged. Meeting Sasuke had seemed like a curse, sent from a God who had it out for his guts. The boys had been thrown together when their older brothers, Kyuubi and Itachi, became best friends at school. Soon the families were spending holidays together, babysitting the others children whenever necessary, and basically becoming a permanent presence in each other's life. Everyone loved the arrangement except the two youngest. They hated each other with a passion.

That is, until they both turned seventeen.

Something changed the summer after their junior year of high school. Kyuu and Itachi were off at college, so the adults decided to celebrate their success with their first children by taking a summer vacation to Italy. Instead of leaving Naruto and Sasuke in the city, they sent them to the lake cottage for the entire summer. Alone.

It was as if someone had flipped a switch. The fighting slowly dwindled to a halt, and the passion from their anger redirected itself. Before Naruto knew what was happening to him, he had completely fallen for the teme. And for four years, he thought Sasuke had fallen for him, too.

Sighing, Naruto stopped himself from digging too deep into the last year. He was sitting at the lake, basking in the sun; there was no reason to mope around feeling sorry for himself.

"Hey, Naruto!"

Opening a single blue eye, Naruto glanced toward the water to see his brother proudly riding a jet ski toward the dock.

"What the hell are you riding?" the blonde demanded, staring in awe at the contraption.

Kyuubi let out a deep laugh. "This, my darling little brother, is a brand-new-used jet ski that I, your ever devoted brother, have rented for the weekend."

Naruto clearly heard his brother say the thing was used, and he could tell from the chipped paint and sputtering engine, but it didn't matter. Ever since he was little, the blonde had been obsessed with jet skis. He would spend hours sitting on the dock watching the big kids ride them ride them around the lake. Kyuubi and Itachi would take him on rides, but it wasn't the same as holding the controls in your hand, going as fast as you wanted, no responsible figure breathing down your neck.

"Are you saying I get to drive this?" Naruto asked hesitantly, afraid it was all some elaborate joke.

Kyuubi grinned. "Yep. You've looked a little down later, so in exchange for a little brotherly chat later, I'll let you take this baby out before dinner."

Ignoring the protective vibes coming from his brother, Naruto grabbed his life jacked and hopped on the Jet Ski as Kyuubi slid into the water for a swim.

Turning to head into deeper water, the blonde barely heard his brother calling after him to be home for dinner in an hour.

Sasuke's eyes were glued to the laptop screen in front of him. The number that had made perfect sense to him for the last six hours were beginning to blur together into one massive headache. Clearly, it was time for the Uchiha to take a break.

Leaning back and stretching, his dark eyes roamed the sparse contents of his desk. A few papers scattered the dark surface, a small reading lamp sat in the far corner opposite the computer, and next to that sat a mug with pens. Besides those, the Uchiha had only one adorning feature on his desk, and he hadn't even put it there. A small picture frame, hand painted a vibrant orange with blue swirls, was pushed to the farthest side of the desk. The photo inside was of Sasuke and Naruto. They were moving into their college dorms, and sometime during the chaos someone had snapped a picture of Naruto trying to attack the raven with a pillow. Sasuke was easily fending him off, and both boys were smiling.

When he had first started working at Sound Recording, Sasuke had been a lowly cubical worker, and back then his small desk had been covered in hand made frames with pictures of his friends, family, and, mostly, Naruto. But as he worked his way through the ranks, eventually getting to Vice President, the pictures had dwindled to just one. The bigger desk he got the fewer pictures Sasuke kept. The only reason he had one at all was because Naruto kept coming in to put it there, even after the Uchiha's fourth attempt at removing it.

Pressing the button on his phone, Sasuke took the receiver and spoke into it. "Karin, what meetings do I have coming up?"

His secretary had come with the position. If Sasuke had his way, the incompetent women would be out of the job in a heartbeat. Too bad she was the president's niece.

"Oh, Mr. Uchiha! Just let me check," the woman spluttered. The sound of shifting papers and computer keys could be heard over the phone. "You don't have anything sir. I was told to clear this evening though next Tuesday for you, sir."

"Excuse me?" Sasuke asked, his voice a lethal hiss. "Just who the hell told you to do that?"

The woman's voice was hesitant, but no one refused an enraged Uchiha. "Naruto, sir."

Sasuke cursed. That idiot sure had balls to fuck with his schedule. "Karin, from now one, you are to ignore all calls from that dobe. Or any of my stupid family. Is that clear?"

"Yea sir," Karin affirmed.

"Good."

With that he hung up the phone. Sasuke knew he was too angry to get any real work done. Naruto had complained about his work schedule before, but the blonde had never attempted to actually call and change anything. Sasuke checked his calendar, digging through the meetings and planning sessions he had to attend to find something that would make Naruto do something so drastic.

After searching all four of his work calendars, Sasuke finally remembered to check the online planner he and Naruto had started in college. It was originally meant for them to be able to see what classes the other was in so they could hang out between. The raven hadn't even known Naruto kept it running.

One glance and Sasuke's question was answered. That weekend was their families' annual weekend at the lake cottage. Sasuke hadn't gone since his promotion, but Naruto never failed to attend. Obviously, this year the blonde hadn't wanted to show up alone.

"If you wanted me to go so bad, why didn't you just talk to me, idiot?" Sasuke mumbled. He vaguely remembered the blonde mentioning something about a trip to the cottage, but he had shrugged it off as a passing fancy of his lover's. The Uchiha had given his customary grunt and the subject had been dropped.

The ring of his office phone drew the raven out of his daze.

"Uchiha," he answered immediately.

"Um, Mr. Uchiha, I know you said not to let family calls though, but your brother is on the line," his secretaries hesitant voice said.

"Then why are you wasting time telling me?" Sasuke demanded, his annoyance growing by the minute.

"He made it clear that this was very important, sir."

Sasuke may be a cruel bastard, but he couldn't hold his secretaries fear of his brother against her. He knew first hand exactly how frightening Itachi could be when he wanted something.

"Put him through."

Immediately the line switched and Sasuke was quick to get the first word in.

"Why the hell are you bothering me at work?"

For once, there was no sarcastic retort. Instead, Itachi's voice was completely serious, and he spoke barely above a whisper.

"Naruto is missing."

Pain. Excruciating pain. It started as a tremendous pound in his head and flooded the rest of his body until every inch burned. Gingerly, Naruto tried to forced open his eyes. It took more effort than he would have expected, and when he lifted a hand to investigate, his fingers came away with crusts of dried blood.

"Fuck," the blonde mumbled, quickly feeling around the rest of his face and head for more injuries. There seemed to be a gash of some sort at his hairline that was still bleeding a little and the back of his head felt like one big bruise.

Trying desperately to stay calm, Naruto glanced around to assess the situation. His body had drifted to lie on a rock barely underwater in a cove he had never seen before, and the shore was covered in dense woods. As he continued looking around, he saw the remains of what was once Kyuubi's Jet Ski smashed to bits on a nearby rock.

He had been driving fast, faster than normal, hoping the adrenalin would force any thoughts of Sasuke out of his mind. The blonde hadn't even noticed the depth finder slowly lowering. The Jet Ski had hit rocks and sent him flying.

"Ok, no worries," Naruto told himself reassuringly. "Just swim out to the main channel. Someone should be willing to stop for a blood-covered idiot floating in the middle of a lake."

Encouraged, the blonde tried to stand only to feel a sharp pain in his left ankle. He looked down to see his foot bend at an impossible angle.

Cursing, Naruto lowered himself into the water in a way that put as little strain on the injury as possible, but the throbbing only continued to grow as he made the long, but slow, swim to the channel.

"Excuse me?" Sasuke hissed into the receiver. "What kind of sick joke is this? If this is some pathetic ploy to get me down there I swear I'll kill him."

A slight tsk could be heard from Itachi's end. "If this is how you treat him no wonder he's been so dreary."

"Itachi," the younger growled, not in any mood for jokes.

His brother's tone immediately sobered before continuing. "He left at about four, promising to be home for dinner. That was four ago, Sasuke. He hasn't come home."

A strange feeling crept inside the raven. He couldn't describe it, didn't want to. It felt like everything in his body just stopped. There was no air flowing, no blood pumping.

Sasuke Uchiha had frozen.

Suddenly, a new voice blared from the phone. "Alright, asshole, from your lack of response I'm guessing you don't care, but to top it all off there's a fucking storm rolling in!"

Kyuubi Uzumaki was beyond angry. Rage, mixed with a slight tint of worry, coated his words.

"I do care," Sasuke mumbled, but his words were lost as Itachi took back the phone.

"Sorry, Sasuke, I told Kyu to let me talk. You know he's just worried."

"How close is the storm?" Sasuke demanded, ignoring the yells of the enraged Uzumaki in the background.

"The rain just started falling in the last half hour, and I can see lightning," Itachi answered quietly, real concern in his tone. "I really think you should be here, Sasuke. I hate to be a pessimist, but this might be serious."

The line went dead, and Sasuke slowly lowered the phone back into its cradle. His dark eyes drifted toward the picture he had considered such a nuisance only moments before. Naruto's smile had become such a part of the Uchiha's like that Sasuke couldn't fathom not being able to see it anymore. He couldn't lose that smile. He couldn't lose Naruto.

A single tear slid down the raven's cheek as he sent up a silent plea.

"Please, dobe, come home."

He couldn't feel the rain falling steadily upon his head. Every part of Naruto's body was completely numb. The wind howled around him, pushing the waves to incredible heights and forcing them back down around him. It took every bit of strength the blonde had to not just give up and let himself sink under the furious water.

Naruto knew there wasn't much time. He wouldn't last the next hour, let alone the night, in the storm. The numbness made him feel nothing, but a sense of weariness crept along his limbs. He was so very tired…

Right before his eyes closed completely, a bright light flashed across Naruto's face. Snapping back into focus, the blonde scanned the horizon for what he knew had to be out there.

And there it was! A boat!

Calling upon his last reserve of strength, Naruto raised his arms and screamed for all he was worth.

Naruto wasn't sure how long he yelled and waved his hands. Time had stopped being a factor for him long ago, but when he focused his gaze through the pounding rain, Naruto could clearly see a large houseboat coming toward him.

Relieved, Naruto dropped his arms and rested his weary throat.

"Hey, don't shut up now! I can't see in this damn storm!"

The blonde could just make out a red-haired figure behind the wheel of the boat. Encouraged, Naruto began yelling again and didn't stop until a pair of cool hands were grabbing his shoulders and hauling him onto the slippery rear of the houseboat.

"You can stop now, idiot," the red-head said harshly, but his hands were gently wrapping the blonde in towels and wiping the blood off his face. "You're safe. I've got you."

The weariness returned stronger than ever, but this time Naruto didn't fight. He let the darkness come as calming fingers ran through his hair and the realization of safety easing his worries.

Sasuke had always believed in following rules, even when it came to mundane things like traffic laws, but the Uchiha didn't even register that he was going at least 20 over the speed limit. Cars swerved to stay out of his path, but the raven never considered touching the break.

As he sped along, Sasuke had time to think. To remember.

The memories of their first summer at the lake cottage, just Naruto and himself, haunted the raven's mind. He could picture Naruto's 17 year old self, standing on the dock. It was when the blonde had finally gotten the courage to say the words neither could voice.

_Naruto faced the sunset, his blonde spikes long from the summer without a barber and skin bronzed. Even with the vibrant colors spreading across the sky, Sasuke had never seen a more striking scene then the one before him: Naruto, facing away, his strong back covered by an old black white-beater and denim shorts hung low on his hips._

"_Sasuke," the blonde called without turning around. Something about the way he said it made the Uchiha's pulse race. They hardly ever called each other by their given names, but Sasuke decided he liked the deep husk of Naruto's voice pronouncing the syllables of his name._

"_Hn," Sasuke grunted, confirming his presence and attention. _

"_How long are we going to do this?"_

_The raven paused, letting the words sit heavily between them. He knew what the blonde was getting at, but something kept him from calling Naruto out on it._

"_What might that be?"_

_The blonde gave a laugh, but it sounded more weary than mirthful. "Us, Sasuke. How long are we going to ignore us?"_

"_Speak plainly, Naruto," Sasuke ordered, stepping closer to the blonde so that his words were a whisper in the other boy's ear._

_Naruto shuddered, but obeyed. "I love you Sasuke."_

_The only reply he got was a pair of cool lips pressed against the base of his neck._

Sasuke slammed his fist against the wheel, causing the horn to blare and other drivers to glare in his direction. The Uchiha paid them no mind.

"How could I be such an idiot?" he growled to himself. Naruto had always been the one pushing their relationship to each new level. The blonde had confessed first, and Sasuke hadn't even said "I love you" back.

It seemed like Naruto was always holding them together. Sasuke never would have even come out of the closet if the blonde hadn't given him a nudge in the right direction.

_Sasuke sat, mindlessly completing his homework assignments. Senior year was a breeze for him, especially since he already had his scholarship to Yale and a spot on the Cambridge study abroad program. There was really nothing to stop his perfect life…except one little thing._

_The Uchiha had yet to admit to anyone, let alone his father, that he was currently dating his brother's best friend's little brother. Naruto had become everything to him, more important than the scholarships or programs, but the raven could never quite muster the courage to tell his family. He knew it was cruel, forcing Naruto to keep what they had a secret from everyone he loved, but Sasuke was had always been a selfish bastard._

"_Sasuke?"_

_The young raven's head popped up from the textbook at the sound of his brother's voice on the other side of the door. _

"_Come in," he called, gently closing the book and maneuvering himself into a sitting position on his bed._

_Itachi, dressed in casual attire for the weekend, opened the door and wasted no time in making himself comfortable on the younger's bed._

"_To what do I owe this extreme pleasure?" Sasuke asked sarcastically. Ever since college, Itachi had hardly spent a moment at home. The eldest Uchiha had tasted freedom and couldn't get enough._

_Itachi gave his brother a strange look, but replied casually, "I was at Kyuubi's."_

"_Shocker," Sasuke mumbled, but his brother ignored him._

"_He needed my advice. It seems Naruto has been keeping secrets."_

_All sarcasm left Sasuke's mind. There was only one secret the blonde would keep from his brother, and if Naruto had suddenly decided to share, there would be hell to pay._

_Itachi watched his little brother's reactions carefully, especially when he added, "Naruto came out of the closet last night."_

"_Naruto's gay?" Sasuke spluttered, trying his best to look shocked and unprepared for the information. "And to think I spent a whole summer alone with him."_

"_Exactly," Itachi agreed slowly. "You were alone for a whole summer. What happened, Sasuke? We know he's seeing someone. Is it you?"_

_Never had Sasuke Uchiha successfully lied to his brother, and today was no different. Before the negative response could even leave his lips, Itachi had pulled him into a rare embrace._

"_We don't want to judge you. It's fine, Sasuke, really, as long as you're happy. Please don't lie."_

_Sasuke said nothing but hugged back, telling his brother everything he needed to know._

"_I just can't help but wonder," Itachi mumbled absently, "if Naruto hadn't brought it up, would have ever said anything at all?"_

Sasuke gritted his teeth and pressed the gas pedal even harder. As the road flew by, the raven made a silent vow to himself and any higher power who wanted to act as his witness. _When_ he found Naruto, things would be different. He was going to finally make things right.

The next time Naruto opened his eyes, he was wrapped in a thick quilt and laid out on one of the fluffiest mattresses he had ever felt.

"Good, you're awake. I was beginning to worry you'd slipped into a coma."

Although no lights were on the room, Naruto recognized the red-hair of his rescuer approaching, a flashlight in hand.

"Yea, I was pretty much out of luck out there," the blonde admitted, scratching below his neck sheepishly. "I really owe you one. My name is Naruto."

"Gaara, Dr. Gaara Sabaku."

"A doctor?" Naruto repeated in surprise. "I really did luck out. What's my diagnosis, Doc?"

The red-head, Gaara, pulled back the quilt to reveal a thickly bandage foot. Gingerly, he lifted the injured leg t o examine. "From what I can tell without an ex-ray, you've broken your foot in at least two places, and probably sprained the ankle, if not broken that as well. As for year head, the cut was shallow, but since face wounds have a tendency to bleed, I'm concerned about blood loss. I've braced and bandaged your foot and stitched the cut, but that's all I can do outside of a hospital. You hit your head hard, so I need you to stay awake until this storm clears and we can get you to a hospital."

Naruto nodded. All of that seemed reasonable. How hard could staying awake for a couple hours be?

"Ok, I'm going to ask you some questions. If you don't remember the answer immediately, say so. I won't know if you're making stuff up," Gaara stated.

"Why?" the blonde asked. Why did they have to talk? Normally he loved talking, but right now his head hurt. And talking took more concentration than he had at the moment.

"Because I'm afraid you might have a concussion," his doctor snapped. "If you do, that could prove far more dangerous than anything else wrong with you."

A concussion. Yeah, Naruto knew about those. He'd learned about them back when he used to play club soccer.

"What's your name."

"Naruto Uzumaki."

"How old are you?"

Naruto paused for a moment, remembering that his birthday was in a few weeks. "24."

"What were you doing before your accident?"

Now Naruto had to fully stop. Before? What had he been doing on the lake? A dark haze was once again pushing at his conscious.

"I…I was driving. A jet ski. I drove fast…because I was angry. I hit the rocks," the blonde mumbled, forcing himself to remember.

Gaara raised an eyebrow. His next question was more curiosity than diagnosis. "Why were you angry?"

The haze was taking over, urging his brain to relax, to stop fighting. The pounding in his head just wouldn't stop. "Sasuke…I was so angry at Sasuke." The words were barely audible, but Naruto pressed himself to keep talking. He had to explain to Gaara. He had to explain to himself. "He always…leaves me alone. He's so…far away…when he's right next to me…It makes me…feel so cold."

Suddenly, his eyelids drooped, causing Gaara's to widen in panic.

"Naruto? Naruto, stay with me!" the red-head urged, shaking the blonde's shoulders. "You gotta stay awake. Stay awake, or you'll never get to tell Sasuke he's a jerk."

It was nearing midnight when Sasuke pulled up to the lake cottage. Rain pelted his car, and lightning lit the dark road. He hadn't bothered to grab a jacket in his haste, so by the time Sasuke made it inside, he was soaked through.

"Sasuke!" his mother cried, racing from her seat to embrace her younger son. "I'm so glad you arrived safe. I couldn't stand it if…"

She left the sentence hanging, but Sasuke knew what she'd meant to say.

_If you had gone missing, too. _

"I'm here safe and sound," he assured her before turning to the rest in the room. Everyone was there, just like Naruto had wanted.

Fugaku and Minato sad in twin leather chairs, both hunched over with tense shoulders, a stance not unusual for the eldest Uchiha, but Sasuke had never seen Naruto's father look so strained. Their wives shared the small love seat, and while Itachi sat in a similar to position to his father's on the couch, Kyuubi stood in the corner. If Sasuke knew anything, he would assume the red-head had been pacing moments before.

"Is there any news?" he asked, leaving the question open to anyone.

"No," Minato answered, shaking his blonde hair, so similar to his son's, wearily. "The power is out, so even if Naruto is safe, he has no way of calling. We contacted the lake police, but they can't get a boat out in all of this lightning."

"What about our boat?" Sasuke asked. "Let me take it out. If they won't look for him, I sure as hell can!"

"Don't you think we've thought of that?" Kyuubi snapped, resuming his pacing. "The damn motor is broken. We thought you were coming, so we didn't bother to call a repairman."

The noise Sasuke made could only be considered a mix between a growl and a sigh. Ever since he was a kid, Sasuke had loved working on motors, be it car, boat, or even tractor. He had worked part time at a repair shop all through high school.

Back then, he and Naruto had dreamed of moving to the lake. Sasuke planned to open his own shop and Naruto could get a job teaching at the local high school and help out in the shop during the summer tourist season.

Too bad plans changed.

"Isn't there anything we can do?" Sasuke asked. The idea of sitting around and doing _nothing _while the only person who kept his world turning could be anywhere broke his heart.

"No, Sasuke, there isn't," Itachi said quietly, raising himself to lay a reassuring hand on his brother's shoulder. "Right now, all we can do it pray.

Staying awake has sounded easy when Gaara first suggested it, but as the night wore on, Naruto could barely keep his eyes open. Only Gaara's constant presence kept the boy awake. Somehow, the red-head had gotten Naruto to spill his whole life story. He told his savior about the summer at the lake with Sasuke, their plans for the future, and how everything went downhill after college. Through it all Gaara nodded and every now and then put forth a comment or two.

"If I ever meet your lover, I have a bit of advice for him," Gaara stated dryly. "No career is worth your love. Trust me."

Naruto just nodded dully. It had been hours, surely, since the red-head and pulled him from the lake. The blonde knew he couldn't keep his eyes open much longer. His head hurt so very much.

Suddenly, the room was too bright. Naruto had to pull the blanket above his head to block out the blearing glow.

"Naruto, the lights are on!" Gaara exclaimed, with more emotion than the blonde had heard him use all evening.

"No shit."

"That means the power is back," Gaara explained, rising to his feat and grabbing the phone perched beside the bed. Swiftly, the red-head dialed three numbers as once again Naruto tried to fight off the fuzzy feeling threatening to take over his body.

"Hello, 911? I need an ambulance, immediately. My friend is in critical condition."

The call came at 4:30 in the morning. The lightning had stopped an hour before, but the rescue boats hadn't reported finding anyone, and were planning to go back out once the rain stopped.

"Hello, I'm calling for a Sasuke Uchiha."

"You got him," Sasuke replied into the receiver tiredly.

"My name is Gaara Sabaku. I think I have what you've been looking for."

After that, Sasuke nearly cried when the caller explained how he'd found Naruto in the storm and had finally gotten him to a hospital.

"It was pretty close for awhile," Gaara explained. "I was afraid he would slip into a coma from the concussion, but he managed to stay awake until the paramedics arrived."

Sasuke hastily wrote down the address of a hospital on the other side of the lake and, for the first time in years, said an honest thank you to the man who'd saved his heart.

"Naruto was worth saving," Gaara agreed, and then added softly. "You only meet someone like him once your life, Mr. Uchiha. Take it from someone who knows. I don't care what kind of job you have, but someone like Naruto, someone who gives you a _family_, that's worth more than a million pay checks. Hold on to him. Otherwise you'll end up regretting it every minute for the rest of your life."

With that, the other man hung up, leaving Sasuke to stare blankly at his cell phone. With a shake of the head, he quickly shared the new information with his waiting family and jumped in the car. He had a dobe to find.

Naruto always hated hospitals. They were boring and depressing. And the annoying blips from the heart monitor kept him from having any peace.

Since arriving, Naruto had mutely allowed the medical geniuses to work their magic on his bruised body, but as soon as they saw fit to leave him (assumedly "to rest", but who can any sleep with that damn beeping?); the blonde had immediately begged Gaara to call his family.

So when Sasuke walked through the door, his nearly always perfect hair frizzy from rain and cheeks still red from tears (that he would never admit actually happened), Naruto was ready with a million excuses to keep his boyfriend from being angry about being called in from work.

"Silence," the Uchiha ordered, successfully halting the onslaught of words pouring from the blonde. Silently, Sasuke took his boyfriend's hand and gingerly held it took lips before pressing it to his cheek. "I'm just so happy you're safe."

"Sasuke…" Naruto murmured, surprised at the raw emotion on his boyfriend's face.

"Itachi called," the raven said softly. "I snapped at him for interrupting work, and I was so mad at you for cancelling my meetings."

The blonde dropped his eyes sheepishly.

"But when he said how long you'd been gone, how the storm was coming in, I felt my world stop," Sasuke said, using his free hand to gently lift Naruto's chin. "I can't live in this world without you, dobe, so don't make me. Ever. I'll cut back hours. We'll take family vacations, go to the lake, maybe I'll even look into working at a garage again, anything. Just stay with me."

"Sasuke, I was never going anywhere," Naruto replied with a slight laugh.

Sasuke returned the chuckle, relief washing over him. "You know, for once, I'm so thankful you're loud, dobe."

Gaara stood outside the room, silently watching his new friend. He watched as the dark-haired man, Sasuke, entered the room. He watched them talk quietly, sharing an intimate moment he almost felt bad for spying on. He watched Sasuke steel a quick kiss from his lover before the rest of their family forced their way in, surrounding the blonde. They all seemed so free, so happy. What was lost had been found. Naruto had come home.

Through the commotion, Gaara noticed Sasuke and Naruto's hands clasped together tightly, and the looks the two would share.

"Yeah, they'll be fine," the red-head mumbled. "They'll be just fine."

Slowly, Gaara turned and made his way down the quiet hospital hallway. Sasuke would do what he hadn't. He would make the right decision.

Slowly, Gaara took his cell out of his pocket. There it was, the number he'd had as his number one speed dial for five years, even after he came home to find his lover gone two years ago. Before, his pride had never allowed him to press the call button, but maybe things could be different.

Before he could change his mind, Gaara pressed call. If Sasuke Uchiha could have a miracle, why couldn't he?

"Hello?"

Gaara smiled at the sound of the voice. "Hey, Neji, it's been awhile. I was just calling to ask if there's any way you could please come home?"

**I threw in that last bit about Gaara as a kind of an afterward. In case it wasn't clear, Neji left Gaara because Gaara was so focused on his career of being a doctor. It seemed too sad to leave Gaara by himself, so I threw that in there. You get to decide if Neji will give Gaara a second chance or not.**

**Once again, no flames.**

**Peace Out.**


End file.
